DUNLAP — On Jan. 15, the Dunlap Community Unit District 323 School Board members sat passively and listened to residents speak out against teacher layoffs and program cuts proposed to close a $2.1 million budget deficit.

At a special board meeting Monday, the community will hear from the board.

"We listened to the concerns and ideas from the people, and I trust that (Superintendent Jay Marino) has come up with some modifications to the proposal based on the feedback," board President Amy Fairfield Doering said Friday. "Now we have to come to consensus. That's the work that needs to be done at the table."

The budget deficit mitigation plan — teacher layoffs, program reductions in fine arts and physical education classes, increased student fees and a freeze on administrative salaries, among other items — could be policy as early as Monday evening. The agenda reports only that the proposal will be "reviewed" by the board on Monday. The announcement of the meeting on the district's website states that "there will be no board action taken in regards to the budget."

That's because "board action" is not required to implement most of the provisions of the plan to close the deficit.

The proposal could become policy with a more informal gathering of consensus of four of the seven board members.

"At some point in time (at the meeting), I'll 'ask the question' of the board and go around the table with something like 'are you in support of the revised budget deficit mitigation proposal,'" Marino wrote Friday in response to questions. "If I have four board members who are, then I've been given direction. If there are 'yes, but …,' then we'll continue discussions until I have four or more board members that are in support."

The only board action required would be the subsequent laying off of teachers dictated by the action of the deficit mitigation plan. That would come with the approval of a reduction in force (RIF) list that is tied to specific jobs in the district. That vote would likely occur in March or April.

Monday's meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in the Ridgeview Elementary School commons.

The board also is expected to ratify a new three-year teacher contract, approved Sunday by the teachers. The contract gives teachers the equivalent of 2.6 percent raises, on average, each year of the contract.

The public will be allowed to comment after the board has finished its discussion for the evening, but not engage board members in two-way dialogue. If consensus is not reached on the deficit plan, a second meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Banner Elementary School commons.

Page 2 of 2 - Scott Hilyard can be reached at 686-3244 or by email at shilyard@pjstar.com. Follow @scotthilyard on Twitter.